THE CHILDREN

ST0RY NINE

THE CHILDREN, OR

WAS THIS REALLY NECESSARY

The fall of 1991 was an eventual time for our son, Herbert Oskar. It was the beginning of his entry into public education. He started out by attending a special preschool program for his age group at Tope Elementary School. The teachers were exceptional in handling little tikes of his venue and he soon found a number of friends. The program was great in providing him with social skills in learning how to get along with other children, since at that time, his sister was in an early embryo stage. He loved school from the start and sometimes did not want to leave to go home because he had such a good time there. By the fall of 1993 he enrolled in his new school, Wingate Elementary, where he went to Kindergarten. Again, he loved to go to school, had great admiration for his teacher and enjoyed riding the school bus. The classes were half-day ones at that grade level which gave him time to play at home with his now, newborn sister. Wingate is a leader in elementary education, and the principal is quite open-minded in regard to new teaching methods and new teaching technologies. For example, in Herbert's kindergarten class there were two computers, which was a joy to him because he just loved to use them to teach himself. This experience, together with a rich home learning environment and his parent's belief in the importance of education, gave him a head start. He knew most of the basics of kindergarten before he ever got there and just continued to improve himself at his own speed. The teacher, rather than holding him back, encouraged him to greater effort and challenged him with more difficult reading materials.

The following year he started full time school. It was the first grade. As good planning and luck would have it, he was placed with another wonderful teacher. She again encouraged him at every turn, and increased his interest in basic math. Herbert just loved school and learning. There was no stopping him and he continued to teach himself various skills, or enhanced the ones he had already started to develop. At home, he spent two to three hours at a time on the computer, learning, experimenting, and questioning. He was also an avid reader and could read books at the second or third grade level. By the time he got to second grade the following year, the teacher sent him to third grade for his math class. The school also featured a computer lab as part of the library. There, some twenty computers hooked into a central server are used to train students to become computer literate. Herbert was in seventh heaven when it came to doing his computer lab work and the teacher in charge recognized his computer skills and let him experiment with different programs. The school also featured special programs that students could sign up for such as, Odyssey of the Mind where they created an original skit and were in competition with other area schools, and Reflections, an outlet for artistic talent either in an art or written form.

At the present time, Herbert is in third grade. He is receiving guidance from an experienced, dedicated and enlightened teacher. We wanted to have a professional opinion of just where Herbert was about his capability so that he would be appropriately challenged and not be bored in school. The principal, together with his teacher, cooperated and set up a series of tests with the District 51 psychologist. Herbert took a number of tests over a two month period and when they were completed and evaluated, the school staff scheduled a meeting with the parents to discuss the results. We met with some of the Wingate staff and the psychologist in the principal's office. In a nutshell we were told what a nice young man Herbert is and that he scored in the very high percentiles on all of his tests; some more high than others. For example, he was reading at the tenth grade level and his spelling, vocabulary and comprehension were between the eight and ninth grade level. On average he was working at the eight grade level. His teacher explained that Herbert was being given special math assignments, together with full reading privileges. He was also going to be recommended for a special “EEE” program for gifted students and receive additional challenges there. His reputation for working with computers is now recognized throughout the school. A recent example of this is the joint effort made by several teachers that enabled him to take an eighth grade computer programming class at the Redlands Middle School for the remainder of the school year; apparently he is doing very well in the class. As for other activities, Herbert is a member of the Cub Scouts, takes TAEKWONDO lessons twice weekly, and swimming lessons in the summer. There are also a variety of “Enrichment Classes” over summer vacation and occasionally after school.

His sister, Heidi is also no slouch when it comes to learning. She respects her big brother who apparently has all sorts of talents and dutifully defers to him with any questions she may have. Only when brother is away at school will she ask her parents. Heidi is now going to pre-kindergarten at Mesa State College, where they have an Early Childhood Learning Center as part of the Education Department. Again, she too is keeping up with most of the brightest children in her age group. At home she manages the Computer quite well and spends, like her brother, an inordinate amount of time glued to the screen and keyboard. As a matter of self protection and to stop the Fighting over whose turn it is on the computer, I bought a timer that they now set for twenty or thirty minute turns; it has worked out well. At four and a half she has taught herself to read First grade level books, and can manipulate basic arithmetic, in the single digit category, although she is now advancing to the “tens.”

It is admirable to have a reader at such a young age, but just once in a while there may be some pitfalls. For example, after I call for her at her pre-kindergarten, we sometimes go to lunch together before going back home. Heidi usually chooses the eatery. This particular day we went to Starvin’ Arvins for lunch. It was a busy time at the restaurant. We sat in a booth and the waitress brought us two menus. She asked us what kind of a drink she could bring. I asked her for coffee and Heidi said maybe she would have hot chocolate, but as soon as she said that she changed her mind to a Coke, then immediately changed her mind again to a lemonade. I could see the waitress who was very busy, was not pleased. A few minutes later she brought us the drinks and wanted to take the lunch order. I told her what my selection was and Heidi said she was reading the menu and was not yet ready to order. The waitress said she would return later and she did just that. Unfortunately Heidi was still reading the menu, all four pages of it. It took the waitress three more trips before Heidi finally said, “Daddy, I can't make up my mind, you order for me.” I hoped that a larger than usual tip at the end of the meal would help to mollify the waitress; by the way, we have not been back there since. Another example is that when we receive certain mail order catalogs, Heidi takes hours looking through some of them, especially the computer CD-Rom selection. She carefully studies the entries and circles the CD's that she would like to have. Then when she is finished, she brings me the catalog and explains to me with some logic as to why this or that selection is of benefit to her and how she will be better able to read, or write, or improve her skills; in short she gives me a sales pitch. A trip to the Library is sure to take two hours at least. Heidi quickly goes to the Children's Section and browses countless books before selecting the ones that she will borrow. She also uses the computers located in that Section and scrolls through many programs that are preloaded as children's reference material. Heidi will be going to her Kindergarten at Wingate in the Fall of 1997. She can hardly wait and takes every opportunity to visit the school for whatever reason is available, like having Thanksgiving lunch with brother in the school cafeteria. Many teachers already recognize her, and she has met her potential Kindergarten teacher on a number of occasions. Sibling rivalry is wonderful at times.

Not everything is competitive between them. Heidi loves her brother and says that he is her best friend. When he goes to school she can hardly wait for his return in the late afternoon. They share a bedroom and are very comfortable playing, reading, or talking with each other when they are together. “Opa”, the Korean word for older brother, takes good care of his younger sister. Very rarely is there any loss of temper that results in hitting, shoving, or physical aggression, and then it is mostly on sister's part. Whenever possible they do some activities together such as swimming, going to the library, shopping for clothes or gifts, attending religious school, working and playing on the computer, painting or drawing, and yes, doing some home studying from workbooks assigned for their respective capabilities. All in all, they are lovely children and we are encouraging their continued bonding as brother and sister that should carry them through for their entire lifetime.

Now dear reader, those of you who have children can really identify with some of what you have just read, and those of you who have no children can see just how much time and effort is required to give them minimal support and attention. Suffice it to say, either way you can count your blessings and peacefully fall asleep in doing so.